Immediately after the curtain went up on the
Concord-Carlisle High School production of "Oklahoma!"
this past weekendbefore any performer had even taken the stagethe audience
burst into enthusiastic applause. This was a clear indication of two things:
a beautifully designed set, and a great audience. And it just got better
as the show unfolded. The appreciative crowd was treated to a consistently
superb evening of entertainment that would rival any professional performance
of this musical.

"Oklahoma!," which opened
last weekend and continues with performances at the high school this Friday
and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., is directed and produced
by choral director Chuck Brown (his second production of a musical at
CCHS) and features 25 Carlisle youths in its cast and crew of over 100
students.

Before ticket-holders even had a chance to find
their seats, the fun began. The hallway outside the high school auditorium
was transformed into an
old-fashioned Oklahoma-style country fair, with parents and students in
plaid shirts and cowboy hats hawking hot dogs and home-baked goods. There
was even a kissing boothwith
bags of chocolate kisses for sale.

The musical "Oklahoma!" is set in the
period just prior to the territory becoming a state (which it did in 1907),
and focuses on the story of smitten (but coyly
stubborn) lovers Curly and Laurey, impressively portrayed in the CCHS
version by juniors Danny Rooney and Katherine Horlitz. The strength of both
their voices was showcased
in such familiar tunes as "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'," and
"People Will Say We're in Love." The secondary plot features
Laurey's friend Ado Annie (the girl who
"Cain't Say No!"), and her none-too-bright boyfriend Will Parker.
Senior Alexandra Granato and junior Mike Lazar seemed to relish their
over-the-top comedic roles and played
them with gusto, to the delight of the audience. Senior Jeremy Pasha played
a traveling peddler with a fleeting interest in Ado Annie, and together
with Lazar, shared
some memorable stage moments with his dead-on comedic timing. Rounding out
the leads were junior Steve Wengrovitz as Ado Annie's crusty,
shotgun-wielding father;
junior Aviva Muse-Orlinoff as the feisty and lovable Aunt Eller; and
sophomore Joe Whitefield-Smith, who chillingly but sympathetically
portrayed Jud Fry, the dark,
brooding farmhand who has fallen for Laurey.

The dancers and chorus members in
"Oklahoma!" also deserve praise for their talentsespecially their
ability to maintain a high degree of enthusiasm and
energy throughout the show, culminating in the show-topping title song,
which had audience members clapping along and primed to jump to their feet
in a standing ovation.

Professional choreographer Jennifer Micarelli Webb,
a Carlisle resident and a 1992 CCHS graduate, created the impressive and
complicated dance numbers.
Webb herself performed as a dancer and chorus member the last time CCHS
presented "Oklahoma!", in 1989. "Theater at CCHS has come a
long way since then," Webb said.

"The music program wasn't what it is now. What
they're offering here is really turning into a performing arts program, and
Chuck [Brown] is instrumental in
bringing it about," she said. "It used to be that Acton-Boxboro
was considered the best high school for theater in the areabut more and
more, people are recognizing that
Concord-Carlisle is the school to watch. Things are starting to turn
around."

Former Oklahomans

Seated in the audience on Saturday night were
several other CCHS alumni who had appeared in the 1989 production of
"Oklahoma!" They had returned to attend
the evening's performance to honor principal Elaine DiCicco, who will be
leaving CCHS at the end of the year.

"This was so great," said Linda
Shaughnessy, who had played Gertie, (a character with a raucously annoying
laugh), and is impressed to see how the theater
program has grown over the past 12 years. Back then, she recalled, the
director did everythingfrom choreography to leading the orchestra.
"What a huge difference there is
[from 1989 to 2001], especially in terms of parental involvement."

As for students currently in the theater program
with Mr. Brown, it's clear that they recognize their participation in
something special.

"I'm enjoying everything about this,"
said senior Lindsay Smith of Carlisle, who plays the role of Laurey's
friend, Virginia. "It is great to be a part of something
so exciting. The director is incredible, and everyone in the cast, crew and
pit has become like family. I'm learning a lot, and I'm having an amazing
time."

Carlisle students involved in the CCHS presentation
of "Oklahoma!" include:

Tickets for this weekend's performances of
"Oklahoma!" are $10 each for general admission and can be
purchased at Daisy's Market in Carlisle, The Toy Shop
of Concord, The Harness Shop, The Concord Cheese Shop, Video Revolution,
the West Concord 5 & 10, or by calling 318-1417, ext. 151. Tickets are
limited, so it
is recommended they be purchased in advance.